Make Straight the Way of the Barack!
It’s not every day that you get to read the words of a Messianic Herald mere hours after they are proclaimed. Well, okay, these days it is just about every day. But that’s only because Michelle Obama, wife of the Obamessiah, keeps insisting that her husband has achieved, or will achieve, works just short of the miraculous.
I suppose they’re saving the real miracles, like what his policy proposals actually are and how they’ll work, until after the inauguration.
Here’s the latest from the Michelle the Obamabaptist.
When he got out of law school, he could have been a clerk on the Supreme Court or worked with a Fortune 500 company,” Obama said. “He could have made millions. Instead he became a constitutional rights scholar with a small civil rights law firm. Why? Because to whom much is given, much is expected.
Thankfully, she didn’t cut loose with a “Make straight the way of the Barack”, but did walk right up to the edge. I read this paragraph differently than Michelle meant it, I suspect.
The common thing about clerking for the Supreme Court or working for a successful comapny is that they are both support positions. They’re out of the spotlight. You don’t get your name in the headlines of the local paper by researching lawyerly arguments and you sure as heck don’t do it by attending meetings. But, in a small civil rights firm, he could be a shining star and plenty of people could see him. He’d be a focus of attention instead of a worker bee. He could be Frederick Douglass or Daniel Webster or Matlock! I suspect strongly that the amount of spotlight affected his decision greatly, just as it’s affecting his decision now.
After all, to whom much is given, much ego is expected. Isn’t that how it works?
(via Don Surber)
(cross-posted, later in the day, to The Sundries Shack)
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What an absurd over-interpretation of a straightforward comment by Mrs. Obama. I’m waiting for someone, anyone, to offer some actual basis in fact for this hysterical nonsense about the supposed messianic basis of the Obama campaign.
michael: I agree that it’s being overstated, but it’s also being downplayed by those who support Obama- many of whom would never accept a Republican candidate’s wife (or other surrogates) using quasi-religious references.
This one was actually pretty mild, but ‘healing our souls’ was pretty bad, as was the general theme of that speech which indicated that Obama is the ‘only one’ who can do that (that’s nothing if not Messianic, even if it’s obviously not meant in a divine context.)
Tell me how working for a small civil rights firm is a more noble pursuit, or is "giving back", than clerking for a Supreme Court Justice or working for a company that provides hundreds, if not thousands of jobs.
Seriously, the only thing that makes it noble in Michelle’s eyes is because Barack did it. Just like Barack’s campaign is the only thing in her adult life about which she could feel proud when she thinks of her country. Heck, he hasn’t even gotten ‘eound to healing our souls or banishing cynicism and forcing us all to be informed and engaged yet.
Give the man a lake and he’ll stride right across. Nothing is beyond him.
The One True Saviour Of Us All imagery isn’t hard to see. Just, you know, look.
Jimmie:You got nothing here, dude. You have one-sided, absurd over-interpretations of rhetorical commonplaces. You’re riding a meme without any substantive basis in fact.
It’s not in the figurehead, it’s in the fan club.
Well, I have quotes and the plain reading thereof and you have…you. Forgive me if I do not bow under the impressive weight of your evidence.
Jimmie:
There’s nothing at all plain in your reading. You’re seeing what you wish to see. You really think, "Because to whom much is given, much is expected," is evidence that Mrs. Obama thinks she’s John the Baptist?
It’s a homily from the book of Luke. It’s an injunction to those who have have been given privilege to understand that privilege comes with obligation. There’s nothing remotely messianic there. Not even a little.
Mr. Obama was lucky enough to attend Harvard, and now has a very good life. Mrs. Obama is stating her opinion that because he’s been lucky, he has an obligation to others less lucky. I feel the same obligation myself. Most decent people do.
Is Michelle Obama the first political wife to quote the Bible? Do Republicans not obsessively quote the Bible? Does that make them Johns the Baptist in waiting?
And do not Democrats and left leaning Indies obsessively criticize them for doing so? While ignoring all Dems who use Christian messenging or campaign from church pulpits?
C Stanley:
So, let’s walk the logic through here. Because unnamed Democrats criticize unnamed Republicans on unspsecified occasions for overusing the Bible, it follows that Michelle Obama referencing a Bible quote is passing herself off as John the Baptist?
You know what’s most interesting about the current line-of-attack on Mr. Obama? The GOP and Hillary are singing the identical tune. And you know what’s even more interesting? Republican commenters spend 90% of their time regurgitating this silly meme, and no more than 10% of their time touting their own candidate.
Why do you suppose that is? Do Republicans actually imagine they are making progress in this race by studiously avoiding supporting Mr. McCain while making transparently idiotic (and unoriginal) snarks at Mr. Obama?
This is what they’ve got? That Mr. Obama gives a good speech and his supporters look up to him? What is that? Jealousy?
Uh, Michael. Want to bring up Mike Huckabee? Wasn’t the dubbed the fundamentalist loon? And… it’s not exactly the first time Michelle (or Barack) uses religious rhetoric for political purposes. That’s not per definition wrong, but it’s interesting that the party that normally so strongly objects to religion in politics doesn’t have a problem with it when Obama’s the one doing it.
This also goes for when people say they oppose legalizing abortion out of religious reasons (Dems object; religion and politics don’t mix!), yet they sometimes defend their own programs by… (referring to) religion. So I can understand the feeling some have that there’s a double standard at work here.
As it is, though, I agree that this particular quote was pretty mild. If that’s the worst, well, there ain’t no problem (and there might not be a problem at that).
As for negativity: I agree with that. If people want to vote for McCain they would be wise to spend a bit of time saying why McCain is a good choice / better than Obama, not just why Obama is no good.
Above all though, I think it’s important for people here to respect each other’s point of view. We have some bloggers who strongly oppose Obama (I’m one of them), but we also have co-bloggers who (strongly) support Obama.
Talking about which: this friday, Jason will explain why he supports Obama (at least for the Democratic nomination, and possibly for the presidency in general). You’d like to be on that radio show as well to talk about Obama and the reaction of the right to him nowadays? Starts at 2PM.
Sorry, michael, I didn’t realize that there might be people such as yourself who perhaps have never heard of hyperbole (hmm, what was that post you wrote- which I found hysterically funny, BTW- about the three wings of the GOP?)
And as for your characterization of what the GOP is doing right now in the campaign, what can you point to in Obama’s campaign that’s any more substantive? Would it be Michelle giving speeches about his inspiring biography, or would it be the attempts to hamstring McCain on campaign funding? Or if we stick to the Dem primary campaign, maybe it’s the arguments over who put out the photos of Obama wearing funny clothing?
LETS NOT DO WHAT THAT CLINTON SUPPORTER DID TO HIS BROTHER-IN-LAW WHO SUPPORTS OBAMA!!!!
Couldn’t resist. Sorry.
Michael, they didn’t "bring up religion," Michelle half-quoted a Bible verse that’s a commonplace of the language.
Democrats’ objections are generally to the violation of a reasonable separation of Church and State. Hell, I quote Bible verses and I’m an atheist. In fact, I’ve often quoted the precise verse in question. (It makes me sound moral.)
Thanks for the invite, dude, but I am neck-deep in work right now. I’ve got a 700 page manuscript that needs rewriting.
C Stanley: You know what? I am in an intemperate mood right now, so I apologize for getting bitchy. I don’t get over the jet-lag as quickly as I used to.
Oh, ye of little faith . . .
http://obamamessiah.blogspot.com
No problem, michael, and if I crossed the snark line I apologize as well.